Sakura Wars: The Movie
Sakura Wars: The Movie is a 2001 Japanese animated film adaptation of the Sakura Wars series directed and co-written by the uncredited Mitsuru Hongō as well as the credited directors Rob Minkoff and Christopher Reeve and the credited writers Linda Woolverton, David Henry Hwang, Bob Tzudiker and Noni White. It was first released in Japan on December 22, 2001, along with Slayers Premium, Di Gi Charat - A Trip to the Planet and Azumanga Daioh: The Animation. The film takes place a few months after Sakura Wars 3. Lachette Altair is dispatched to the Imperial Capital Tokyo from New York to work for the Imperial Assault Force's Flower division while division captain Ichirō Ōgami is in Paris. Under the leadership of mafia member Brent Furlong, the American Douglas-Stewart company unveils a plan to make the division obsolete by using Japhkiels. Soon, the Flower Division and Lachette are drawn into the heart of Douglas-Stewart's plans. The film was licensed in North America by Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures. In 2013, the film was licensed by Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Warner Home Video and Funimation Entertainment. Plot On Christmas Eve in 1926 Tokyo, the Imperial Revue celebrating Leni Milchstrasse (voiced by Dominic Scott Kay)'s 17th birthday following a performance at the Great Imperial Theater. With division captain Ichirō Ōgami (voiced by Michael J. Fox) in Paris, Moon Division Captain Yūichi Kayama (voiced by David Lucas) joins in the celebration. The next morning, on Christmas Day, Sumire Kanzaki (voiced by Moira Kelly) and Maria Tachibana (voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard) visit a theater, where Maria finds out that Brent (voiced by Roddy McDowall, who died during the production) was one of the mafia members in New York when Maria visited the United States years earlier. At the Great Imperial Theater, Ratchet Altair (voiced by Helena Bonham Carter) arrives from New York City to be assigned into the Imperial Assault Force Flower Division. Douglas-Stewart president Brent Furlong and his subordinate, Patrick Hamilton (voiced by Maurice LaMarche), summon the Kouma to obliterate a city. The Flower Division is summoned to the battlefield where the Kouma are at. However, during the battle, Ratchet appears in an Eisenkleid and briefly battles the Kouma. They retreat and the Flower Division is introduced to Ratchet. Meanwhile, Brent and another one of his subordinates, Haruyoshi Tanuma, arrive at the facility where the Japhkiels, robots made by Douglas-Stewart, are made. One of them attacks Tanuma (voiced by Mark Hamill) to his horror. Patrick uses a soundwave technique to stop the attacking Japhkiel. After the division suffers injuries sustained in battles, division commander Ikki Yoneda (voiced by Jim Cummings) and count Yoritsune Hakakōji (voiced by David Odgen Stiers) are suddenly captured by Patrick, the army assumes command the theater, and the Flower Division is ordered on indefinite standby. Orihime (voiced by Maggie Q) is ordered to go in her Eisenkleid, but she is ambushed and manipulated by Patrick. Meanwhile, Maria investigates the Douglas-Stewart facility and is injured following an ambush by Patrick. At the Flower Mansion, the seven remaining members of the Flower Division and Yokihiko Ōta (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson) of the Rose Division, who reveals that the army was being manipulated by Douglas-Stewart, work together to take back the theater. Using Ri Kohran (voiced by Scarlett Johansson)'s Katsuryu-maru, the seven are able to regain control of the theater and overpower the army. Following another battle with the Kouma, the Division battles Orihime. During the struggle, Ratchet inadvertently critically damages Leni's Eisenkleid in the process in an attempt to kill her. Orihime releases power blasts at the division, but they destroy her Eisenkleid and return her to normal. Kayama rescues Yoneda and Hanakōji while the facility is destroyed, but Brent flees. Using the remaining Japhkiels, Brent confronts the Flower Division and overpowers them, destroying Ratchet's Eisenklied in the process. Following an ambush on Brent by division captain Ichirō Ōgami, the division successfully kills Brent. Meanwhile, Maria confronts Patrick once again and defeats him with a spirit powered bullet. Later, the Flower Division performs a play based on Kyōka Izumi's The Sea God's Villa and turns out to be a success. Cast Additional Voices (Japanese) *Jun-Ichi Kanemaru *Nobutoshi Canna *Kōji Yusa *Daisuke Ono *Rumi Ochiai *Yōko Teppōzuka *Etsuko Kozakura *Ryō Hirohashi *Taeko Kawata *Nao Takamori *Sayaka Aoki *Kenta Miyake *Yūki Masuda *Takuto Yoshinaga *Chikao Ōtsuka Additional Voices (English) *Newell Alexander *Tom Amundsen *Steve Apostolina *Bob Bergen *Rodger Bumpass *Mitch Carter *Robert Clotworthy *David Cowgill *Jimmy Cummings *Aria Noelle Curzon *Jennifer Darling *Debi Derryberry *John DiMaggio *Paul Eiding *Iake Eissinmann *Bill Farmer *Dave Fennoy *Erin Fitzgerald *J.D. Hall *Bridget Hoffman *Sherry Lynn *Danny Mann *Mickie McGowan *Edie Mirman *Laraine Newman *Paul Pape *Jan Rabson *Kevin Michael Richardson *Lia Sargent *Roger C. Smith *Sparky Thornton *Marcelo Tubert *Kari Wahlgren *Jim Ward *Audrey Wasilewski *Frank Welker *Mae Margaret Whitman *Tom Wilson *Wallace Wingert *Michael-Leon Wooley Music Sakura Wars: The Movie (Music from the Motion Picture) is an album released by Warner Sunset Records, Atlantic Records and Nonesuch Records. The soundtrack was released in 2001 along with the film's release. The songs performed by Diana Krall, Trisha Yearwood, Seal, Bing Crosby, Steve Perry, Aaliyah and Jordan Hill with Reese Witherspoon, Claudia Christian and Jodi Benson. The original score was composed by James Newton Howard and Christopher Young with conductors Pete Anthony and Nick Ingman while the the songs "Miracle Bell" and "Everything is Into the Sea" were written by Diane Warren, co-composed by Warren and James Newton Howard, produced by David Foster and Robbie Buchanan and arranged by Foster, Buchanan and Howard. The original score was recorded at Todd-AO Scoring Stage, O'Henry Sound Studios, Air Lyndhurst Studios, JNH Studios, Schnee Studio and Sony Scoring Stage. Track listing External Links *[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816640/ Sakura Wars: The Movie] at the Internet Movie Database *[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=296 Sakura Wars: The Movie] (film) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia **BD review *''Sakura Taisen'' at The Big Cartoon DataBase Category:2001 anime films Category:Anime films based on video games Category:Films directed by Mitsuru Hongo Category:Films set in Tokyo Category:Funimation Entertainment Category:Geneon USA Category:Japanese films Category:Production I.G Category:Sakura Wars Category:Toei Company films Category:Works based on Sega video games Category:Amblin Entertainment animated films Category:Universal Pictures animated films Category:Warner Bros. animated films Category:Film scores by James Newton Howard Category:Film scores by Christopher Young Category:Films directed by Rob Minkoff Category:Films directed by Christopher Reeve Category:Films directed by Kevin Lima Category:Films directed by Chris Buck Category:Films produced by David Kirschner Category:Screenplays by Linda Woolverton Category:Screenplays by David Henry Hwang